Wire-stretcher



. J11 FOWLE. Wire-Stretcher;

No. 224,892. Patent ed Feb. 24, 1 880.

INVENLOR WITNESSES;

ATTORNEYS.

N. PETE-15. PNOTO-LITMOGRAFHER. WAsHLNGYON- 0.5.

I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSHUA FOWLE, OF IOWA CITY, IOWA.

Wl RE-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 224,892,- datedFebruary 24:, 1880.

Application filed November 18, 1879.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOSHUA FowLE, of

' Iowa City, in the county of Johnson and State of Iowa, have invented anew and Improved Wire-Stretcher, of which the following is aspecification.

Figure] is a side elevation, partly in section, representing thestretcher in place on a post. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same.Fig. 3 is an end view of the same, partly in section.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple, convenient, andeffective device for stretching wires along posts in themaking of wirefences.

The invention consists of a clamp provided with devices for adjustingand holding it upon a post, and provided also with crank and crank-shaftfor stretching and tightening the WlI'G.

In the drawings, A A represent the front and back plates of the clamp.The front plate, A, has secured on its inner face, near its ends, twotransverse strips, B B, and the back plate, A, has fastened on its innerface two corresponding metallic plates, 0 0, whose ends 7 are bent atright angles to the bodies of the said plates A and sharpened, that theymay hold better in the post, as shown at a. i

p The two plates A A are held parallel and opposite to each other by theparallel bars D, D, and E, the two former of which are firmly mortisedin the plate A, and extend through opposite mortises in the plate A,while the bar E is centrally dovetailed in an edge of the plate A andpasses loosely through the socket b, whereinit is held by the metallicplate 0.

The jaws or plates A A of the clamp may be drawn together by the screwbolts and nuts F G, respectively, the said bolts F being made to passthrough holes bored through the jaws A A, near their ends, and throughthe strips and plates B O, and as the jaws AA are thus drawn togetherthe jaw A slides on the bars D, D, and E. I

H is a shaft passing through the centers of the jaws A A, parallel withthe bars D, D, and E, and held in place by the pin and washer f on theinside of jaw A, and by the ratchetwheel I, that is keyed on the saidshaft H outside of the jaw A. This shaft H is provided with a hole, 9,bored transversely through it for the insertion of the end of thewirethat is to be stretched, and is revolved by means of thecranlghandle L.

The device is operated by settingit on the side of a post, M, as shownin Fig.1, and turning thenuts G on the screws F until it is firmlysecured by the entrance of the points a of the plates (3 G into the saidpost. The end of the wire to be stretched is then inserted into the hole9 and turned once or twice around the shaft H to prevent-its slipping;then by means of the crank-handle L the shaft H is turned, winding theend of the wire around it and stretching the wire or taking the slackout of it to any desired extent, and as the wire is fully stretchedacross the faces of the posts staples driven over it into the posts attheir points of contact will hold thesaid wire securely.

The pawl O, engaging in the teeth of the ratchet I, prevents the reverseaction or an winding of the shaft H as the work progresses. When onesection or length of wire is thus stretched and secured the clamp may beremoved and fixed on another post for a repetition of the process.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent As a means for stretching-wire in the constructionof awire fence, the within-described clamp, consisting of jaws or plates AA, provided with strips or plates B C, respectively, in combination withthe bars D D E, screw bolts and nuts F G, and crank-shaft H, providedwith hole 9, substantially as herein shown and described.

JOSHUA FOWLE. Witnesses:

THOMAS DAVIS, LUTHER F. LEE.

